***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[spunkychickenmomma]

She looks like a little fighter! Prayers for your family!

Late morning to everyone,

We didn't get much sleep last night. Grand baby number five arrived early, and she's having difficulty breathing. She's in NICU on a CPAP machine. I think she's receiving antibiotics as well, since the doctors suspect pneumonia. The lab is still working on the culture, so the pneumonia is not confirmed.

Sorry to hear about illness in flocks this time of year. Strange weather, uncommonly warm for this time of year, may be contributing.

 

[poultryand bees]

McGuyver,
Great pictures of your hoop house style chicken tractor on the BYC coop picture of the week. Your instructions make sense, also.
Congratulations

 

[spunkychickenmomma]

Has anybody tried the little 7 egg incubators? Would you recommend them?
I would like to hatch just a few eggs from my Naked Neck/Barred Rock cross to see what I will end up with and also hatch a few from my Olive Egger/FBCM cross before I get rid of the roo. Hate to fire up the big bator just for this.
Let me know what you think.

 

[Ksane]

Robin, I do believe you're right about there only being the one boy in your hatch. How the heck did you pull that one off?? Channing is snuggled down in his blanket in the crook of my arm again and I gave him extra kisses on his wattles for you and Joe. When things go wrong in my life (and like all of us, there's a lot I don't talk about) it's always holding Channing's tiny little body that makes it better. I feel so bad for you losing Joe. But what a loved little guy he was with you.

Emach, I will certainly be thinking of you and your family. Your parents must be very torn apart right about now, too. I hope so badly she recovers and that this is the wake-up call she needs. She's so young.

Nana, I lost the 4 birds a few wks ago in a 1 wk period, several others were sneezing. I was so scared every morning to let birds out and was in a panic about my precious Cochins because 2 in that yard were sneezing. That 1st week everyone on the place got Sulmet in their water (I'm not convinced it wasn't coccidia that wore down their immune systems-especially the young ones) and the sneezing ones got Tylan 200 injections (can give 4 times less with Tylan200). This week everyone who'd had even a single sneeze in their yard got Gallimycin (erythromycin) in their water. I've ordered more to make sure I have some on hand. That stuff's kind of amazing really, no more sneezing in the treated yards as soon as I started it. My fingers are still crossed but I'm pretty impressed with this Gallimycin. And my Silver Laced Cochin pair seem to be doing a lot better and have their energy back & look good-so thankful. It seems to have helped a lot having birds spread out in different yards. Hopefully next year when they're older they'll have enough of an immunity that I won't lose any.

Also 1 of my Bantam Ameraucana boys has colored out and he's a Silver Duckwing! (Just called Silver in Ameraucanas). The breeder had sent me some Silver eggs and I thought the only Silver was my pullet, Tinker. So it was a cool surprise the past few wks to see this boy color into a Silver, male and female Silvers are different colored so I didn't know at 1st.

We're asking for prayers for baby Kendall. She's giving the nurses fits in NICU because she keep pulling out the tube that's supposed to evacuate air from her tummy.

Poco, she looks like a chunky alert baby, she has that on her side. I'll send extra good thoughts her way. She's adorable! Look at those cheeks

 

[artsyrobin]

Has anybody tried the little 7 egg incubators? Would you recommend them?
I would like to hatch just a few eggs from my Naked Neck/Barred Rock cross to see what I will end up with and also hatch a few from my Olive Egger/FBCM cross before I get rid of the roo. Hate to fire up the big bator just for this.
Let me know what you think.

i swear by my little brinsea mini, the most effortless little bator and good results-


Mitzi- those are from Laura Castles shipped eggs- she said this seems to be a trend lately, not sure what she is doing, but i'm not complaining!

spent some extra time with Jet and Ebony, they are from June and Ebony was broody for a few days, so brought them into the living room and let them get some extra TLC, they help some, since they are from 'Joe's family'

 

[mjgigax]

bummer!
I lost 9 chicks still in brooders in the garage. One survivor and 4 little ones who were in an unaffected pen remain.
Chencken farming isn't really easy at all.

 

[mjgigax]

Late morning to everyone,

We didn't get much sleep last night. Grand baby number five arrived early, and she's having difficulty breathing. She's in NICU on a CPAP machine. I think she's receiving antibiotics as well, since the doctors suspect pneumonia. The lab is still working on the culture, so the pneumonia is not confirmed.

Sorry to hear about illness in flocks this time of year. Strange weather, uncommonly warm for this time of year, may be contributing.

good point

 

[mjgigax]

This week everyone who'd had even a single sneeze in their yard got Gallimycin (erythromycin) in their water. I've ordered more to make sure I have some on hand. That stuff's kind of amazing really, no more sneezing in the treated yards as soon as I started it. My fingers are still crossed but I'm pretty impressed with this Gallimycin. And my Silver Laced Cochin pair seem to be doing a lot better and have their energy back & look good-so thankful. It seems to have helped a lot having birds spread out in different yards. Hopefully next year when they're older they'll have enough of an immunity that I won't lose any.
.

What ever my birds had that I treated with Gallimycin took a couple of days to clear up even after the 7 day course of the drug. They showed some immediate improvement but finally cleared up about 2 or 3 days after they were off the drug. A couple had chronic wheezing that nothing else seemed to cure. They never acted sick, just have wheezing spells. I am just glad to have them completely well now. I do have one bird that sneezes alot, no other symptoms. The Gallimycin didn't help him.

 

[NanaKat]

Quote:

A long time friend of ours raised meat rabbits and made a 100 x 20 foot pen with big PVC pipi as the underground runs for the younger rabbits to get in out of the sun/heat. The also had an underground building with PVC pipes for the rabbit entries but had an above ground door for access by the humans. I know I don't have any photos and they were in their 80s so ill try to draw a diagram and post it.

Okay, I hope these sketches are helpful.
The PVC pipe they used was either 6 " or 8 " diameter and I think they were 6 - 8 feet long. Guess that would depend on how big the rabbits you use are.

The building/hutch( 5 ' x 2')was set below ground level and had three nests that were accessed by doors on the one side of the roof...not sure how those were waterproofed, but the kits were always dry. The nests were separated by plywood with vent holes cut in to them. Each nest had it's own entrance pipe.
There were also vents along the roof eaves on both sides.
The PVC pipes are set below ground with a slope away from the nest box so that water did not run into the nests. They filled the bottom of the nest boxes with leaves and or hay and the rabbits pull hair to line it.
I'm trying to remember if they lined the outside of the hutch with brick to protect the outside below ground level...

The roof was shingles and they had fruit trees in their 100 x 20 foot rabbit run for added shade. Ornamental grasses and shrubs would serve the same purpose. Even squash plants or sunflowere ...plants the rabbits wouldn't eat ...would offer shade.

They also buried other sections of PVC pipes under smaller burms of dirt around the inside of the pen for the rabbits to run to and get out of the sun or hide from predators. The pen was made with 2 x 4 wire, t posts and railroad ties.

 

[mjgigax]

They tried this morning, but she was having "rebound" symptoms, and was breathing over her vent more than they were wanting her to. So they put her back on the Versed. Pupils have started reacting today. Other than that, she will more than likely be in the coma until tomorrow we are hoping. I am very anxious to see how the outcome of this is going to be. I read EMSA's run report, and she was in asystole. The big question is, is how long was she down??? And we wont be able to see how much neuro damage until she is awake and alert. So until then, I will continue to be anxious. I have actually found that sitting in my chicken coop with my hens is very relaxing. They have no idea whats going on, But they sure do know how to listen to me. Thank you Kass for your concerns.

Keeps us up to date. My heart goes out to your family and your sister.